This is not the normal election season in Nigeria. The regular season is the first quarter of every four years. That cycle started in 1999 with the return of the country to civilian rule. It so happened that the first quarter of this year was that season. Another will be in four years ahead. The previous one was in 2015. 

However, there are random elections from time to time. Bye elections take place when the needs arise. Circumstances of court rulings on election petitions, death of serving parliamentarians are major causes of bye elections. Out of season gubernatorial elections have been mainly as a result of orders by election petition tribunals. When a petitioner dislodges the presumed winner as a result of a successful petition, a new Governor is then sworn in and he will serve for a fresh four-year term. If an incumbent Governor that had lost his re-election is returned to office via a successful post election petition, he will serve for only one more term of four years. This is the reason for the staggered gubernatorial elections in Nigeria. Parliamentarians only serve the balance of the life of the national and state houses of assembly. They do not serve for four years even when they win their cases at the election petition tribunal sometime in the life of the national and state assemblies.

Now you know why Kogi State, Northcentral geopolitical zone and Bayelsa State, Southsouth geopolitical zone will hold gubernatorial election on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Although the elections will take place the same day, the swearing in of winners will coincide with the actual date the incumbents began their terms. 

All these actions are derived from the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s Electoral Laws. 

All elections in Nigeria come with their apprehensions. The two gubernatorial elections now at hand have theirs in large measures. More on this shortly.